As the housing market shifts back in buyers' favor, sellers face growing pressure to accept less for their homes, even as the price of selling continues to rise.

Sellers who listed their home in the past three years spent an average of $81,918 on their home sale — up 22% from the $67,245 they spent in 2025, according to new research from Clever Real Estate, a discount real estate broker.

Sellers expected to spend just $26,883, meaning the real cost was more than three times what they anticipated. Had they known the true cost of selling their home ahead of time, 69% would have made different decisions.

Keep reading to learn more about the true cost of selling a home in a market that now favors buyers.

Homeowners Spent More Than $80,000 on Home-Selling Expenses

Selling a home is an unpredictable process, but the biggest shock might be how much sellers pay along the way.

Nearly half of homeowners (49%) who have sold a home in the past three years say the cost of selling was a surprise and rarely a pleasant one.

About 46% say the cost of selling their home was higher than expected. Only 37% said the same in 2025, but today's slower market has sellers paying to attract buyers in ways they never anticipated.

Homeowners expected to spend an average of $26,883 on their home sale, but the real cost is more than 3x that much. Sellers report spending an average of $81,918 to sell their home — up 22% from the $67,245 they spent on average in 2025.

The cost of selling a home varies, but on average, recent sellers spent the following amount on these expenses:

• Pre- and post-listing repairs, improvements, or renovations: $27,649
• Listing agent commission on the average-priced home: $13,875
• Optional buyer's agent commission on the average-priced home: $13,573
• Closing costs: $11,147
• Concessions to the buyer: $9,914
• Moving costs: $3,013
• Marketing and staging costs: $2,747

A majority of sellers (69%) say they budgeted for their home sale, but with costs wildly surpassing expectations, 41% still felt financially strained during the process. Nearly 1 in 4 sellers (24%) even went into debt to cover costs associated with selling their home.

Sellers who used alternative home-selling methods were more likely to feel financial pressure, with 67% of those who sold to iBuyer companies and 60% of those who sold to companies that buy houses for cash saying they felt financially strained.

Meanwhile, a knowledgeable real estate agent can help homeowners avoid financial surprises when selling their home. About 91% of represented sellers say their agent clearly explained the total costs of selling their home, and only 30% were confused about what they were being charged for during the process.

By contrast, 37% of unrepresented sellers were confused, with the percentage rising to 53% of those who sold to iBuyer companies, 47% of those who sold to cash home buyers, and 43% of those who used a flat fee MLS listing.

Sellers Spent $27,649 on Home Improvements

Buyers want move-in ready homes, but as renovation costs continue to climb, sellers are having to dig deeper into their pockets to deliver.

Nearly three-fourths of homeowners (71%) made repairs when selling their home, with the average cost of these pre- and post-listing repairs totaling $27,649 — up 32% from the amount they spent last year.

Homeowners are spending more preparing their homes for sale, but they're not seeing the same returns, dividing sellers on whether the investment is actually worthwhile. Out of all the home-selling expenses, sellers ranked repair costs as:

• Most worth the money they spent but also least worth the money they spent
• The best return on investment but also the biggest budget buster
• The most helpful home-selling expense but also the most stressful

Without guidance, deciding which repairs to invest in can feel like a gamble.

A real estate agent can help sellers navigate those decisions, and 62% of represented sellers say their agent's recommendations resulted in a higher sale price. About 40% wish they had followed even more of that advice, with the percentage rising to 70% among those who ignored their agent's recommendations.

Yet some sellers still don't want to spend time or money making repairs. Next time they sell, 62% of sellers would consider using a cash home-buying company, which typically purchases properties as-is.

Commission Fees Cost Sellers $27,448

Realtor fees are traditionally one of the largest expenses for home sellers, and that hasn't changed much in the years since a settlement with the National Association of Realtors changed how commission is paid in an effort to lower costs for sellers.

The average real estate commission rate is 5.46% of the final home sale price, split almost evenly between the buyer's agent at 2.70% and the seller's agent at 2.76%. On the average-priced home, that costs sellers $27,448.

Sellers can reduce their commission costs by opting not to pay the buyer's agent fee, saving $13,573 and lowering the total home-selling cost from $81,918 to $68,345. Yet most sellers continue to pay this expense, although they are no longer required to do so.

With buyers already struggling to afford homeownership, covering their agent's commission can garner more offers — especially when there are other ways sellers can lower Realtor fees, such as negotiating a reduced rate with their own agent or hiring a low-commission real estate agent. In fact, 64% of sellers say they would consider using a low-commission Realtor next time they sell.

Despite the expense, many sellers recognize the importance of having a guide through the complicated home-selling process. About 90% of those who used a real estate agent are satisfied with their decision to do so.

What's more, 85% say their agent was worth the money — up from 72% in 2025 as the market becomes more difficult for sellers to navigate on their own.

75% of Unrepresented Sellers Wanted to Save Money on Commission

Hiring a real estate agent is the most common way to sell a home, but it’s far from the only option.

Alternative methods, such as cash-buying companies, can help homeowners sell faster and without repairs. But for most nontraditional sellers, the motivation to forgo an agent comes down to cost.

Three-fourths of unrepresented sellers (75%) did not use an agent because they wanted to save on commission fees.  

The same percentage of unrepresented sellers (75%) think they saved money by not using a real estate agent, but the savings may be smaller than they expect.

Unrepresented sellers did spend less on Realtor fees, but they paid drastically more for repairs, concessions, and marketing costs without an agent's expertise to guide them. In the end, unrepresented sellers who still paid the buyer's commission saved only $1,136 more than those who did use an agent, while taking on the entire burden of selling a home themselves.

When the savings are that slim, unrepresented sellers may question whether they made the right home-selling choice. About 45% of unrepresented sellers think their home would have sold for a higher price if they had used an agent, compared to 37% of represented sellers who think they could have made more on their home had they not used an agent.

What's more, 38% of unrepresented sellers wish they had used an agent when selling their home, compared to 22% of represented sellers who wish they had not.

It may come as no surprise, then, that unrepresented sellers would reconsider their home-selling method if hiring an agent were more affordable. More than half of unrepresented sellers (54%) would consider using an agent next time they sell if they received a discount on commission.

Closing Fees Cost Sellers $11,147

Real estate fees can be difficult to decipher, with dozens of unfamiliar charges often bundled into a single bill. In fact, 1 in 3 sellers (33%) say they were confused about what they were being charged for at some point in the home-selling process.

Of all the expenses associated with selling a home, sellers say closing costs were the most confusing. Not only were they hard to understand, they were also the most unexpectedly expensive and financially painful home-selling cost.

Essentially, the cost sellers least understood hit them the hardest.

Closing costs are a standard part of any home sale, but the amount can vary depending on location, lender requirements, and other factors, making it difficult for sellers to budget.

On average, sellers spent $11,147 on closing fees, such as  title insurance, transfer taxes, document prep, and other costs necessary to complete the sale. That's up 36% from the $8,217 they paid on average in 2025 as inflation drives up the cost of nearly all goods and services.

Seller Concessions Averaged $9,914 in Value

Home sellers can no longer avoid concessions like they did during the pandemic. As mortgage rates climb back above 7%, competition for buyers is heating up.

To attract home shoppers, 78% of sellers made concessions, often offering incentives that made their home more affordable to buy. Of those who made concessions, sellers were most likely to:

• Offer a flexible closing date (36%)
• Reduce the price (30%)
• Provide an early move-in date (28%)
• Make repairs or provide repair credits (24%)
• Offer closing cost assistance (23%)
• Include personal property in the sale (21%)
• Pay for a home warranty (21%)

While some concessions require a sacrifice of only time and convenience, others have a real monetary cost. Sellers say the value of their concessions to the buyer totaled $9,914 on average, but the amount depends on who is at the negotiating table.

Sellers who negotiated without an agent ($10,920) gave up almost $1,500 more in concessions than those who used an agent ($9,433).

For sellers who want to minimize their home's time on the market, concessions may be worth the cost. But some are still unsatisfied with the deal they struck. About 1 in 7 sellers regret not negotiating more with the buyer (14%) or making too many concessions (14%).

Had they known the true cost of selling ahead of time, 1 in 8 (12%) would have offered fewer contingencies.

Moving and Marketing Expenses Cost Sellers $5,760

Marketing and staging a home aren’t required, but presenting a home in its best light often helps it sell faster and for more money.

Sellers spent an average of $2,747 to stage and market their home.

With other selling costs climbing, paying for extras can feel like a stretch, but 89% say certain services were worth the extra cost, including:

• Good marketing (39%)
• High-quality listing photos (39%)
• Minor landscaping or curb appeal updates (29%)
• Professional cleaning (28%)
• Professional staging (23%)

However, these optional expenses are often the first to go when budgets are tight. More than one-third of home sellers (38%) say they tried to skip services such as staging, cleaning, or professional photography, with the percentage rising to nearly half of unrepresented sellers (47%).

But without professional experience, sellers often end up spending more time and money attracting qualified buyers, with less effective results. More than 1 in 4 home sellers (28%) say they tried to DIY part of their home sale that ultimately cost them more than hiring a professional.

Staging and marketing help get a home sold, but the spending doesn’t stop once the sale is complete. There’s also the cost of getting to the next home. Sellers paid $3,013 on average in moving costs.

Sellers Prioritize a Faster Sale Over Maximizing Profit

The spike in mortgage rates has stifled demand for homes, and many listings spend months lingering on the market. Under these conditions, selling quickly (49%) becomes the most common priority, edging out monetary concerns such as selling for the highest profit (48%) and minimizing the overall cost of selling (35%).

For many sellers, a quick sale is more of a hope than a reality. A listing is typically considered stale after about three months on the market, a threshold many homes are already crossing. About 41% of homeowners say it took at least three months for their home to sell, while 17% say it took six months or more.

To sell faster, some homeowners will bypass the market entirely and sell via non-traditional methods, such as companies that buy houses for cash. These companies facilitate faster and simpler home sales, but often pay below market value for homes in return.

It’s a trade-off many sellers make specifically to save time. More than half of sellers who used a cash-buying company say selling quickly was a priority (56%), while only a third say the same about earning the highest profit (36%).

Selling to a cash-buying company generally delivers on that goal. Only 29% of homeowners who sold to cash home buyers say it took three months or more to sell their home, and only 13% say it took six months or more.

Nearly 3 in 4 Sellers Accepted a Lower Offer for More Convenience

Many sellers list their home on the open market to get the highest price, but the longer a home sits, the more willing sellers are to accept a lower offer for a faster sale or better terms.

Nearly three-fourths (73%) of sellers accepted a lower offer than they wanted in exchange for:

• Selling as-is (26%)
• A faster closing (24%)
• A cash offer (24%)
• A flexible move-out date (17%)
• No inspection (10%)

Homeowners who sold to companies that buy houses for cash were even more willing to make these trade-offs, with 36% accepting less to sell as-is, 36% for a cash offer, and 28% for a faster closing.

Meanwhile, represented sellers were twice as likely to hold firm on price, with 32% saying they did not accept a lower offer than they wanted, compared to 16% of unrepresented sellers. Consequently, 86% of represented sellers were satisfied with their final home sale price, while just 77% of unrepresented sellers said the same.

Selling Costs Left More Than 1 in 3 Sellers With Less Profit Than Expected

It's a tough market for sellers, but home values are still high enough that 80% say they made a profit on their sale, earning $191,304 on average. However, 39% say their profit was less than expected because of the total cost to sell.

How homeowners chose to sell often affected how much they earned. Despite paying thousands more in Realtor fees, sellers who used an agent (84%) were more likely to make a profit than sellers who did not (71%).

Meanwhile, sellers who did not use an agent were less likely to make a profit, and when they did, it was typically less than average. Those who listed for sale by owner made $188,597, while those who sold to companies that buy houses for cash reported the lowest earnings of $148,845 on average.

The difference in outcomes, however, may come down to conflicting priorities. About 55% of sellers who used a real estate agent say getting the highest possible profit was a priority, compared to 32% of unrepresented sellers.

Sellers without an agent may have walked away with less, but for many of them, maximizing profit was never the main goal.

70% of Sellers Have Regrets About Their Sale

Although selling quickly is the top priority, financial considerations appear to weigh more heavily in hindsight.

About 70% of sellers have regrets about their home sale, with sellers most commonly regretting that they underestimated how much it would cost to sell their home (16%).

Without a realistic budget, sellers may have to dip into savings or take on debt before the sale even closes. Once it does, sellers may have less money than expected to put toward their next home or other financial goals.

More than 1 in 3 sellers (37%) wish they had done more research about the costs of selling a home before listing, with the percentage rising among those who used non-traditional selling methods, which often come with less transparency.

Without an agent to explain the charges, these sellers may not have a clear picture of the costs. More than half of those who sold with cash home buyers (57%), iBuyer companies (56%), and flat fee MLS listings (54%) wish they had done more research.

Sellers also regret:

• Not selling for enough money (15%)
• Making too many concessions with the buyer (14%)
• Not negotiating more with the buyer (14%)
• Real estate agent commission was too expensive (12%)
• Selling at the wrong time (12%)
• Listing their home at the wrong price (11%)

More Than 2 in 3 Sellers Wish They Had Made Different Decisions

For many homeowners, the true cost of selling a home only becomes clear once the transaction is complete, causing many to rethink how they approached the sale.

Had they known the true cost of selling their home ahead of time, 69% of home sellers would have made different decisions. In hindsight, sellers would have:

• Listed their home for more (18%)
• Waited for more offers (16%)
• Waited to sell until the market improved (14%)
• Negotiated commission with their agent (14%)
• Budgeted differently (14%)

Many sellers believe those missed opportunities cost them. Had they approached the process differently, sellers think they could have sold their home for $34,139 more than they actually did.

The biggest perceived losses came from sellers who did not list on the open market. If they had made different choices, homeowners who sold to iBuyer companies think they could have made $49,000 more, followed by homeowners who sold to companies that buy houses for cash at $36,060.

By comparison, sellers who used a real estate agent believe they could have made about $32,800 more if they had approached the sale differently — the lowest amount among all groups of sellers.

Methodology

Clever Real Estate surveyed 1,000 adult Americans who have sold a home since 2024 about their home-selling experience. The survey ran Aug. 13 to 16, 2026.

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